Why do people hate Muslims so much? Studies have long argued that the religion has no moderate voices and encourages violence and terrorism. Others stipulate that many Muslim countries are oil dictatorships and that Saudi Arabia, through channeling oil dollars to poorer Muslim countries to impose a more radical view of Islam. But ask anyone in the streets of Europe, Asia or the Americas and the first thing that will come to their mind is “they don’t respect women’s rights”.

Political scientists have argued that no two countries with a liberal democratic governing system have ever fought a war against each other. Others suggest that no two countries with a McDonald's restaurant have ever waged a war against each other. Theorists suggest that people would rather queue for burgers than go outside and grab guns. I would add that men would rather think about the next person they will have a date with than fight a war.

Men like dating. Yet every moral order that has existed has put restrictions on dating and have strictly codified relationships between men and women. Women have traditionally been the ones who were blamed for initiating the sin.

Every doctrine put restrictions against dating. In every culture that existed, it is either the parents who choose a wife for their son, or the man who sees a woman he likes and than asks his parents to ask her parents to marry her. If a woman sees a man and tells her parents she’s in love, honor crimes are often the norm. Honor crimes committed against men are almost something unheard of.

Then what is a country that does not respect woman’s rights? Few countries have laws that imply that women are inferior to men. However, when walking around the streets of a country, one can tell whether woman have rights or not.

Most countries that are at war don’t have facilities where men and woman can meet privately for a reasonable price. They don’t have coffee shops with coffee for a reasonable price that allow men and women to sit together, nor do they have restaurants, theme parks or movie theaters that offer a range of prices which are affordable for average income earners, or any other leisure areas, for that purpose. And most importantly, they don’t have places where couples can privately enjoy having sex.

The more men have the possibility to have sex, the less they tend to go to war. In most countries at war, a woman can not go to man’s house unless they are married. Furthermore, hotels have prohibitive prices and in some countries’ cases don’t even allow unmarried couples to share a room.

Sex is not the whole story. Men also like to kiss and cuddle. Yet in most countries that are at war, kissing and cuddling in public is deemed indecorous and not allowed, and there are no places to do that privately.

Some would say this theory is not valid because the United States does not belong to this category and yet is a very belligerent country. But ask the people who enrolled for the army. They often live in neighborhoods where unlike the dating portrayed on sitcoms, they have no place to go date.

Minorities in countries where sex is liberalized tend to have more conservative views on sexual behavior. They don’t allow their children to marry people with liberal views on sex. Meanwhile, while South-North immigration is motivated by money, liberal sex is also a motivating factor for immigrants. “In Europe, I can date a woman freely. I have the money to do so. There are lots of places where you can bring a woman, and people don’t point a finger at you when you hold hands or take a woman to your place” is what immigrants will often say.

Perhaps the reason formerly belligerent countries like Korea and Vietnam or even China are rather peaceful countries now is because there have been dramatic changes relating to relations between men and women. Love motels are largely available, and dating is not a taboo anymore. However the likeliness of China having a “shortage” of women because people killed girls to try again and have a boy during the single child policy might lead them to wage wars.

As for other countries, as long as they force women to hide themselves as in rich oil countries and India, or maintain prohibitively high prices on services and hotels such as in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, the likelihood of wars in those countries will remain high. After all, the words peace and love go together.

"But ask anyone in the streets of Europe, Asia or the Americas and the first thing that will come to their mind is 'they don’t respect women’s rights'”.

There is a paradox at work here: ask a Black Muslim American why he changed his religion from Christian to Moslem and chances are he will answer "Islam is less hypocritical about the brotherhood of man." Perhaps the solution is to change that word "brotherhood" to "sisterhood"? But in that case, how many Muslims would agree to it? And yet at one time long ago these Moslems got along quite well with Jews and Christians, as long as they were in charge of course... Food for thought.

AP

2009-04-06 19:08:27

Not "as long as" they were in charge: it actually happened like that WHEN they were in charge (for some centuries)- anyway, in those times even slaves would become writers and philosophers. Can you explain why??

Emanuel Paparella

2009-04-06 20:49:16

The answer is forthcoming as soon as you, Ms. Pereira, explain why, within the context of multiple modernities, women's inalienable rights are not much respected in most Moslem countries. Do you actually believe that they would have been respected if the Muslims had suceeded in taking over the whole of Europe?

AP

2009-04-06 22:22:31

Oh, right: and in Christian countries they are... let me laugh!

Emanuel Paparella

2009-04-06 22:37:00

You may laugh at your heart's content, but laughter or mockery, or caricature is not an answer; in fact, it merely reveals a lack of answers.

AP

2009-04-06 23:22:20

I would have answers you wouldn't like to listen.

Thinker

2011-08-25 23:41:02

I read this and thought what most stands out is the fact that no matter what the rules of society have been throughout history,there is a code of ethics that most traditions carry in one way or another towards respect of women. Remember not so long ago livestock were worth more then a women. but there has always been honor and protection of women and children. There has been some modicum of respect for women, especially women of virtue. Muslems have no regard, and that says to a pee brain like me, coupled with whAt I see, they have no regard for anyone. And there lies the core of the worlds lack of understanding. Terrorism uses many names and styles of war for excusing its unacceptable behavior, inquisitions, crusades, holocausts,kamakazi's, racial wars,etc. But there are rules of conduct, and those who consider it an honor to kill and die for the elimination of others, those who can defile the very personage pf their own mothers, sisters and wives, with fervor, are against all human rights.
Know you enemy, See the difference between what a doctrine says and what some of it's people actually do. Hate not a religion, but be real about an obvious faction of hateful world killers. Everything to terrorists is a reason to fight. They honor no boundaries, anything and everything is a reason to take if they say so, and will kill you if you disagree. Hey they also reserve the right to kill someone if do agree. They are the world bullies. Even to their own people. That is why we are in their war. Trying to help their own have the right to live with due respect. The rest of the world in theory, is fighting for their women and children to have rights that their own men will not allow them. Hmmmm